Method and apparatus for binding books and forming plastic binding elements therefor



March 29, 1960 P, BARDY 2,930,054

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BINDING BOOKS AND FORMING PLASTIC BINDINGELEMENTS THEREFOR Filed Sept. 12, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. PETERJ. BARDY March 29, 1960 P. J. BARDY 2,930,054

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BINDING BOOKS AND FORMING PLASTIC BINDINGELEMENTS THEREFOR Filed Sept. 12, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

PET E R J. BA R DY A ORNEYS March 29, 1960 P. J. BARDY ms'moo ANDAPPARATUS FOR BINDING sooxs AND FORMING PLASTIC BINDING ELEMENTSTHEREFOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. 12, 1957 INVENTOR.v

PET ER J. BARDY ITJ AT RNEYS March 29, 1960 p, BARDY 2,930,054

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR BINDING BOOKS AND FORMING PLASTIC BINDINGELEMENTS THEREFOR Filed Sept. 12, 1957 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 L; 55 \84/55 nft:

PETER J. BARDY ATT NEYS United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FORBINDING BOOKS AND FORMING PLASTIC BINDING ELEMENTS THEREFOR Peter J.Bardy, Park Ridge, 111., assignor to General Bindifillg Corporation, Northbrook, Ill., a corporation of inois Application September 12, 1957,Serial No. 683,555

6 Claims. (Cl. 11-1 A and efficient process for forming comb-likeplastic blanks into binding elements which consists in the curling ofthe binding elements while cold and during formingthereof efiecting abook binding operation and setting the binding elements to their curledform by sealing the elements by heat.

, A still furtherobject of the invention is to provide a more efficientapparatus for curling comb-like plastic planks when cold and binding astack of sheets during the curling operation, and setting the blanks intheir curled form by heat.

These and other objects of the invention will appear from time to timeas the specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanyingdrawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of a comb-like blank prior toforming in its curled form;

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a curled binding element, having astack of sheets bound thereon;

Figure 3 is a view in side elevation of a forming and binding apparatusconstructed in accordance with the invention; I

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the forward portion of theapparatus looking at the apparatus along line IV-IV of Figure '3;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan view of the apparatus lookingsubstantially along line V-V of Figure 3;

Figure 6 is an end view of the apparatus, looking at the apparatustoward the forward end thereof;

Figure 7 is a sectional view taken substantially along line VII-VII ofFigure 3;

Figure 8 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the ap paratus in sideelevation with certain parts shown in section;

Figure 9 is an end view of the rear forming anvils; and

Figure 10 is an end view of the front top forming anvil.

In the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, acomb-like blank 10 is shown in Figures 1 and 2 as having a back portionor back bone 11 from which extend a plurality of parallel spacedrelatively long fingers 12, curled by the apparatus and process of theinvention while cold and impaling a stack of sheets 13 anddielectrically sealed to retain the blank to its curled form and retainthe stack of sheets thereto.

The blank 10 may be made from a sheet of thermoplastic material, such asthe vinyl chlorides or vinyl acetates, known to the trade as Vinylite,or the cellulose acetates, butyrates and ethyl-cellulose. It may also bemade from various other vinyl resins and from nylon compounds, as wellas any other suitable material desired.

The apparatus for carrying out the process of the invention, as hereinshown, includes a base 15 having a base plate 16 supported in verticallyspaced relation with respect to the ground and having a frame 17 mountedon top thereof and extending vertically therefrom. The frame 17 has acylinder 18 mounted thereon adjacent the upper end thereof, and shown asbeing inclined downwardly toward the forward end portion of the base.The

cylinder 18 has a piston 19 therein having a piston rod 20 extendingtherefrom and extensible from the head end of the cylinder, to operate afeed plate 21, feeding a comb-like blank 10 from the top of a stack ofblanks in a feeder 23 to a forming anvil 25, forming the blanks to theircurled form.

The cylinder 18 and piston 19 may bewell known forms of cylinders andpistons, preferably air operated, to positively feed the blanks to theforming arbor 25 at the selection of the operator of the machine.

i The piston rod 20 is shown as having a connector 27 threaded on itsouter end and locked thereto as by a lock nut 29. The feeder plate 21for the blanks 10 is shown in Figure 5 as extending within a slottedportion of the connector 27 and as being secured thereto as by pins 31,which may be roll pins. The feeder plate 21 is slidably guided within aguide plate 32, secured at its forward end to the inclined top surfaceof a frame 33 for the feeder 23, as by machine screws 35. The guideplate 32 has spaced ribs 36 extending along opposite sides thereof anddepending therefrom and abutted by a retainer plate 37, secured to theundersides of the ribs 36 as by nuts and bolts 38. The ribs 36 thusspace the top surface of the retainer plate 37 beneath the undersurfaceof the guide plate 32 to form a slot slidably receiving and guiding thefeeder plate 21.

The feeder 23 consists in the inclined frame 33 mounted on the baseplate 16 and extending upwardly therefrom and inclined toward theforward end portion of the apparatus in a plane perpendicular to theplane of the guide plate 32, and positioning the top surface of theframe 33 parallel to the plane of the guide plate 32. The inclined frame33 has a plurality of longitudinally extending slots 39 formed therein,spaced to receive the fingers 12 of the blanks 10, and having a pusherplate 40 slidably guided therein. The pusher plate 40 has a back 41"withfingers 43 extending forwardly therefrom through the slots 39 and formsa support for a stack of blanks. 10 carried in the slots 39, and biasesthe top blank of the stack of blanks upwardly into engagement with theundersurface ,of the guide plate 32, in position to be pushed by thefeeder plate 21 to the anvil 25, upon the admission of fluid underpressure to the head end of the cylinder 18. t

The pusher plate 40 has a plurality of guide pins 44 mounted on thefingers 43 thereof and extending downwardly therefrom within compressionsprings 45, mounted in the base portion of the frame 33, and biasing thepusher plate 40 toward the guide plate 32.

Supported on the base plate 16 in advance of the feeder 23 is a frame 47having an inclined frame portion 49 having a guide slot 50 extendingtherealong in registry with the top surface of the frame 33 and theundersurface of the guide plate 32 to receive and guide the blanks to aslot 51 leading within the anvil 25 tangential to a curved inner surface57 thereof.

The anvil 25 includes a frame 55 mounted on the base plate 16 in advanceof the frame 47 and having an inclined surface 56 forming the bottom ofthe slot 51 and leading to an arcuateanvil surface 57 tangentiallythereof. The frame 55 has upright arms 52 extending up wardly from theinclined surface 56 adjacent opposite ends thereof and having a rear topanvil 59 mounted therebetween. The rear top anvil 59 has a forward advance face 60 terminating at its lower end into an arouate anvil surface61' forming a continuation of the anvil surface 57 of the frame 55.Bearing blocks 63 are mounted at each side of the frame 55 and extendlater ally and forward therefrom and are drilled coaxially with thecenter about which the anvil surfaces 61 and 57 are formed and form asupport for an arbor 65, about which the fingers 12 of the blank arecurled. The frame 55 is drilled from the bottom thereof at a pluralityof spaced points along axes perpendicular to the plane of the surface 56as indicated by reference character 53. The holes 58 register with thebackbone 11 and fingers 12 of the binding element or blank 19 and openthrough the anvil face 57 to slidably receive probes 66 engaging thebackbone and pressing the curled fingers of the binding element intoengagement with the arbor 65. The probes 66 form one electrode for thedielectric sealing means while the arbor 65 forms the other electrodefor sealing the backbone to the curled fingers of the binding element,as will hereinafter be more fully explained as this specificationproceeds.

The anvil 25 also includes a forward base anvil portion 69 slidablyguided in guides 72'. extending along the base plate 16 and abutting theforward face of the frame 55 and having an arcuate anvil surface 76forming a continuation of the anvil surface 57. A pin 78 is provided tolock the anvil 69 in position. The forward base anvil portion 69 hasspaced support cars 71 extending angularly outwardly and forwardlytherefrom, and forming a support for a pivot pin 73 forming a pivotalsupport for a forward top anvil 75. The top anvil 75 has an arcuatesurface 76 forming a continuation of the anvil surface 70 and ispivotally mounted on the pin 73, to accommodate opening of the anvil tothe position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3. The forward topanvil 75 has a rear vertically extending face 79 spaced forwardly of theforward face 69 of the anvil 59, and with the forward face 69 forming aslot to receive the stack of sheets to be bound, indicated in Figures 2and 3 and designated by reference character 13.

The arbor 65 may be formed from cold rolled copper or a like materialhaving electrical conducting properties, and as previously mentionedforms an electrode for the dielectric sealing of the fingers 12 to thebackbone of the binder. The arbor 65, as herein shown, has a slot 80formed therein and extending therealong to receive the stack of sheets13 and to recess the stack of sheets Within said arbor to a depthsutficient to accommodate the binding fingers 12 of the binding elementto pass through the punched portions of the sheets.

It should here be understood that the sheets to be bound are usuallypunched with rectangular holes sulficiently large to receive the fingersof the binding element with sufficient clearance between the fingers toaccommodate the fingers to be freely inserted through the rectangularholes (Figure 2). The arbor 65 has a knurled head 81, accommodating theplacing of the arbor within and removal of the arbor from the drilledportions of the blocks 63. Insulating bushings 82 carried in the blocks63 are provided to insulate said arbor from said blocks.

The anvil surface 76 of the forward top anvil 75 is shown as having aplurality of spaced slots or recessed portions 83 formed therein andregistering with the fingers 12 of the blank 10 and the rectangularpunched portions of the sheets of the stack of sheets. Each slot 83 hasa curved guide finger 85 mounted therein and extending forwardlytherefrom and adapted to have the rectangular punched portions of thestack of sheets 13 impaled thereon. The fingers 85 have ribs 84extending along their edges and engaging the sides of he fingers 12 toretain the fingers to pass through the slots of the stack of sheets. Theinner surfaces of said fingers between the ribs 84 form continuations ofthe arc of the anvil surfaces 57 and 70 to continue curling of thefingers as they pass through the rectangular punched portions of thestack of sheets 1'3.

Spring pressed pins 86 mounted in the forward top mandrel 75 and spacedoutwardly of the stack of sheets 13, are provided to slidably engageapertured portions of the rear top anvil portion 59 when the forward topanvil is in its closed position andthe anvil 69 is moved along the guide72 and locked in position with respect thereto by the locking pin 78.

Dielectric sealing of the fingers 12 to the backbone of the binder isattained by the fusion probes 66, slidably guided in the drilled holes58 in the anvil frame 55, for slidable movement therealong intoengagement with the backbone 11 of the binding element. The fusionprobes 66 may be made from copper or a like conductor and are mounted ona probe bar 88 carried on an insulator bar 89, slidably guided within aslotted portion 90 of a cylinder housing 91. The cylinder housing 91 ismounted on the bottom of the base plate 16. The slotted portion 90 ofthe cylinder housing registers with an aligned slotted portion 92 formedin the base plate 16, which in turn registers with the drilled portions58 of the frame 55. The cylinder housing 91 has an inner cylindricalwall 93 opening to the slot 90 and having a piston 94 movable therealongand sealed thereto as by an O-ring seal 95. An end plate 96 for thecylinder housing 91 closes the open end portion of the cylindrical wall93 and has an inlet 97 leading thereinto, for supplying fluid underpressure to the piston 94, to effect engagement of the ends of theprobes 66 with the backbone of the binding element and engage thefingers of the binding element with the arbor 65, to effect heat sealingof the backbone of the binder to the fingers thereof. A spring 98 isprovided to return the probes 66 upon the release of pressure from thecylinder 93.

As has previously been mentioned, the probes 66 form one electrode forheat sealing the backbone 11 to the fingers 12 of the binding element,while the arbor 65 forms the other electrode. As herein shown, theprobes are-energized through the frame which is grounded, as indicatedby reference character 99. The arbor 65 is suitably connected with theother conductor of the dielectric energizing circuit. The probes 66 andarbor 65 may be suitably energized by a high frequency electric currentin any well known manner to effect the heat sealing operation, and nopart of the present invention, so not herein shown or described further.

In carrying out the process of the invention, a stack of blanks 10 mayfirst be placed on the pusher plate 40 of the blank feeder 23, with thefingers of the blanks extending along the fingers 43 of the pusher plate40 within the slots 39. The anvils 69 and being positioned along theguides 72 away from the anvil 55 and the upper forward anvil 75 being inthe open position indicated by dotted lines in Figure 3, the stack ofsheets to be bound may be impaled on the fingers 85. Anvils 69 and 75may then be moved to abut the anvil 69 with the anvil 55 and the pin 78may lock the anvils 69 and 75 in position. The forward top anvil 75 maythen be pivoted downwardly to bring the sheets 13 into the slot in thearbor 65. The anvil 75 may then be looked in the closed position shownby solid lines in Figure 1, by the locking pins 86. Fluid under pressuremay then be admitted to the head end of the cylinder 18 to move thefeeder plate 21 downwardly along the underside of the guide plate 32 topick off a top blank 10 of the stack of blanks and positively feed thetop blank through slots 50 and 51 along the 'anvil 25 and along thefingers between the ribs 84 thereof. The fingers 85 extending throughthe rectangular punched portions of the stack of sheets serve to guidethe fingers 12 through the punched portions of the stack of sheets andaround the cylindrical anvil forming surface until the fingers 12 passunder the backbone of the binder as the feeding operation continues. Thebinder will now be in its curled form. Fluid under pressure, such asair, may then be admitted to the head end of the cylinder 93 to effectengagement of the probes 66 with the backbone of the binder and to pressthe fingers 12 of the binder into engagement with the arbor 65. Theprobes 66, and

out departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts of theinvention as defined by the claims appended hereto.

I claim as my invention:

l. A method of binding a stack of punched sheets comprising the steps ofplacing a stack ofpunched sheets on an arbor and confining the sheets bythe arbor with the punched portions thereof in alignment with theperiphery of the arbor, feeding a cold flat plastic blank having a backand parallel fingers extending therefrom toward the arbor and curlingthe fingers about the arbor during the feeding operation when cold, andduring the curling of the fingers, guiding the fingers to pass throughthe punched portions of the sheets and continuing curling thereof andbringing the free ends of the fingers into underlapping relation withrespect to the back of the blank, and then heat sealing the fingers tothe inside of the back of the blank.

2. An automatic plastic blank forming and book binding apparatus,comprising a base frame, an anvil having an internal generallycylindrical forming surface having a feed slot leading tangentiallythereinto, means for feeding a flat comb-like blank having a back andfingers extending therefrom along said slot into said anvil in thedirection of the fingers thereof, an arbor extending along the formingsurface of said anvil in radially inwardly spaced relation with respectthereto and adapted to be engaged by a stack of punched sheets, and aprobe slidably guided in said anvil for engagement with a curled blankand cooperating with said arbor and being energizable at a highfrequency for heat sealing'the blank into its curled form.

3. An automatic plastic blank forming and book binding apparatus,comprising a base frame, an anvil having an internal generallycylindrical forming surface having a feed slot leading tangentiallythereinto, means for feeding a fiat comb-like blank having a back andfingers extending therefrom along said slot into said anvil in thedirection of the fingers thereof, an arbor extending along the formingsurface of said anvil in radially inwardly spaced relation with respectthereto and adapted to be engaged by a stack of punched sheets, aplurality of probes made from a conducting material slidably guided insaid anvil, each probe being in alignment with a finger of said blankand said probes cooperating with said arbor and being energizable at ahigh frequency for heat sealing the blank to its curled form, and meansselectively operable to exert pressure on said probes to engage saidprobes with the curled blank and press the curled blank into engagementwith said arbor during the heat sealing operation.

4. An automatic plastic blank forming and book binding apparatus,comprising a base frame, an anvil having an internalgenerallycylindrical forming surface having a feed slot leadingtangentially thereinto, means feeding flat comb-like blanks having aback and fingers extending therefrom along said slot into said anvil inthe direction of the fingers thereof, an arbor extending along theforming surface of said anvil in radially inwardly spaced relation withrespect thereto and forming a support for a stack of punched sheets,said anvil having a hinged portion pivotally movable to accommodate theinsertion and removal of a stack of sheets, the hinged portion of saidanvil having fingers extending therefrom and forming continuations ofthe cylindrical anvil surface of the anvil and so constructed andarranged as to extend through the punched portions of a stack of sheetsto be bound and to bring the stack of sheets into position to be boundupon downward movement of said hinged portion to a closed position, andsaid fingers having concave guide surfaces engaged by the fingers of theblanks and having ribs extending along each side thereof inwardly ofsaid concave surfaces and guiding the fingers against lat eraldisplacement, a plurality of probes slidably guided in said arbor andcorresponding in number to the number of teeth in the blank andpositioned to be in alignment with the teeth curled about said arbor andbeing energizable to heat seal said back to said fingers, and fluidpressure operated means for engaging said probes with the curled blank.

5. In an apparatus for forming flat comb-like plastic blanks having aback and parallel fingers extending therefrom into a circular form andduring the forming operation thereof impaling a stack of sheetstherewith, a base frame, an anvil mounted on said base frame and havingan internal generally cylindrical forming surface, an arbor extendingalong said forming surface of said anvil in radial inwardly spacedrelation with respect thereto, said arbor having a slot extendingtherealong to receive a stack of punched sheets, a slot in said anvil inalignment with the slot in said arbor, accommodating the placing of astack of sheets in the slot in said arbor, a feed slot in said anvilleading tangentially to the cylindrical anvil surface thereof, feedingmeans feeding a plastic blank along said slot in the direction of thefingers thereof to first engage the fingers with the cylindrical surfaceof said anvil and conform said fingers thereto and to continue theforming operation of said fingers by feeding said fingers along saidsurface, and during forming of said fingers impaling a stack of sheetsthereon, guide fingers conforming to the cylindrical surface of saidanvil and extending across the sheet receiving slot therein andretaining the fingers from lateral displacement while passing across thesheet receiving slot to assure the impaling of the sheets in said sheetreceiving slot on said fingers, a plurality of probes slidably mountedin said anvil to extend in the space between said anvil and arbor forengagement with the back of the blank and pressing said back intoengagement with the underlapping fingers of the blank, and meansselectively operable to engage said probes with the back of the curledblank and to press the back and fingers of the curled blank intoengagement with said arbor, said probes and arbor being electricalconductors and being energizable at high frequencies to heat seal theblank into its curled form.

6. An automatic plastic binder-forming and book-binding apparatus,comprising a base frame,'an anvil having an internal generallycylindrical forming surface with a feed slot leading tangentiallythereinto, means for feeding a plurality of spaced plastic fingers alongsaid slot into said anvil with the fingers extending transverselythereof whereby said fingers curl into a ring-like configuration with anoverlapping portion, an arbor extending along the forming surface ofsaid anvil in radially inwardly spaced relation with respect thereto,heat sealing probe means slidably guided in said anvil for engagementwith the overlapping portions of each finger and cooperating with saidarbor and being energizable for heat sealing said overlapping portions,and means positioning a plurality of stacked sheets having perforationsalong one edge thereof in position in said anvil with'the perforationsaligned with said forming surface whereby said fingers pass through saidperforations when fed into said anvil via said tangential feed slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,273,824 Barrett Feb. 24, 1942 2,570,921 Collins Oct. 9, 1951 2,571,525Blitstein 0a. 16, 1951 FOREIGN PATENIS 204,168 Australia May 24, 1956

